This was just a good read for the soul tbh. Gemma is so relatable and watching her navigate through the story, realizing what she’s been over looking in her life makes you want to take a step back and look at yours. Dax is just swoonworthy, and Kiersten and Aunt Livi are also amazing. I absolutely loved this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced E-arc.

This Spells Love follows Gemma who’s four year relationship has ended and in an attempt to forget her sorrows and after a few good drinks in she goes along with her aunt’s plan to do a love cleanse in order to forget that she even met her ex.

Upon waking up the next morning though predictable loving Gemma is thrust into the an alternate reality where not only did she erase her ex from her life but also her always dependable best friend Dax.

Gemma soon learns what life might look like if she finally took some big chances and realizes just how important Dax is to her life.

Overall even though I found the pacing to be off around mid-way through and the main characters to be a bit wooden at times, this is a fun romance read with a great cast of supporting characters.

3.5 stars

Absolutely delightful rom com with a magical realism bent (it feels more like that than, say, supernatural.) In a pretty standard romance setup a woman contemplates making the jump from best friends to lovers, but is reluctant to do so because it might ruin everything. It's pretty clear to the reader that the man, Dax, would be onboard with changing from platonic to romantic. A kooky aunt and harried sister are pretty standard characters-the aunt being the one who leads them to the spell that leads to her waking up in a reality where they can try out being lovers. So several standard elements and yet this did NOT feel stale or boring. I loved that it was Canadian and they went curling. I loved the small businesses. It was much steamier than I anticipated it being (much!!) but that was fine. I'll definitely recommend this to my friends who read romance.

I loved seeing the main character Gemma grow as a person throughout the book. Her and Dax’s friendship was really special and I’m always a fan of friends to lovers.

This book was written beautifully. When I tell you I was engulfed the entire time!!!!

I absolutely loved getting to know Gemma and Dax in every universe.

Gemma just got out of a dead end relationship and does some accidental spell work and gets thrown into an alternate universe where her best friend doesn’t even know who she is. In order to get home, that best friend, Dax, has to kiss her.
Their evolution to strangers, to friends, to lovers was exquisite. Their love stood the test of inter dimensional travel, and if that doesn’t pull you heart strings…. What will?

“Goodnight, Dax McGuire,” I call to him. “Goodnight, Gemma McGuire,” he calls back. “Slip of the tongue?” He shrugs and smiles. “Something like that.”

-best friends to strangers (?) to lovers, alternate reality, so many lovable characters
-wishing for chance at a do-over results in a spell gone very wrong 🪄💫
-in the other timeline, Dax has no recollection of Gemma at all
-such a refreshing read and I was cheering for them all the way 🩷
-the mentions of Canadian things were the icing on the cake 🤭
-thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC 🫶🏻

4.3⭐️

This Spells Love is a charming little dose of magic, charm, and love... with some great characters. I love the idea of second chances/themes on playing with time and this book explores those themes in a fun way that really allows us to think about those other relationships in our lives that matter and how chances can always open up when we allow ourselves to see them. Kate Robb's book is filled with little hidden gems of story, a great set of characters in Gemma and Dax (really liked Dax and I like a well developed male character in a romance), and a fun plot that is just right for the magical vibes I want during the holiday season (this comes out in Dec and I think will be a most welcome magic spirit of the season read).
If you love romance and charm in the winter months... this is a good one to preorder or make a gift to someone for some winter break reading!

This was a really cute and fun read! Who among us hasn’t wanted to go back in time and change things? Gemma is fresh off a break up with her long time boyfriend Stuart. She meets up with her sister, aunt, and her best friend, Dax. They perform a spell to help Gemma go back and forget Stuart. The spell works, but with some unintended consequences. Her BFF, Dax, doesn’t remember her in the new parallel universe and things are a bit off. Gemma begins to work out some feelings towards Dax and career dreams she wasn’t expecting. Dax is really sweet and I enjoyed seeing them fall for each other. You have to suspend belief a bit, but that’s okay. It was the perfect light and fun summer read.

This Spells Love is an adorable romcom infused with magic, charm, spice, and a love story about sisters. Katie Robb delivered 13 Going on 30 vibes in her friends to lovers debut novel that takes the FMC on a magical journey to answer the question of “what if she’d never met her ex.”

Gemma and Dax were likable and easy to love, but the entire cast of characters will charm your socks off and the cozy small town vibes felt like a cross between Stars Hollow and Schitt’s Creek… an odd pairing, but I couldn’t help picturing Wilde Beauty as Rose Apothecary with its black and white, clean beauty aesthetic.

The story as a whole felt surface level (think Hallmark) and the ending was wrapped up too quickly - I wish there had been more focus on the Wilde sisters in the last few chapters. And while Gemma and Dax had been friends for years, their budding relationship in the alternate reality was too insta love for me. Although, the sexy curling scene was hilariously executed and might have been my favorite.

Overall, this was a cute story and I can see lots of readers enjoying this charming, magical romance.

3.5 stars!

4.5 stars! I loved this book so much more than I thought it would and found myself gushing and giddy right alongside Gemma! If you are looking for friends turned to lovers, second chance romance, dream chasing, parallel universe this is the book for you!

I loved this sweet story! When I’m able to consume 300+ pages in less than 12 hours, I know it’s a good one.

Things I loved: sweet sister bonds, alternate dimensions, girl bossing (e.g. career aspiration), friends to lovers (but he’s loved her all along) trope!!!

Things I disliked/wanted more from: the “rip in the space time continuum” plot line - to a reader, this felt very urgent but it felt like G still waffled on what to do until the end.

**There was half a page missing on the advance copy at the end of chapter 13 - story just cuts and skips to ch 14**

Wouldn't it be great to forget your ex? That is Gemma's wish after she breaks up with her longterm boyfriend. A night of margaritas with Gemma's aunt, sister and best guy friend ends in a spell that has her falling asleep and waking up in an alternate universe where she hasn't dated Stuart, but also is not best friends with Dax. Be careful what you wish for, Gemma realizes she needs things to go back to normal before the next full moon. As she works to put the pieces back together, she realizes maybe her and Dax should be more than friends.

Such a fun book to read, I loved the alternate universe concept as one decision can change the entire trajectory of your life. Definitely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

I loved this immensely! I usually stay away from time-travel/alternative universe type books but the friends to lovers in this immediately made me want to read it. I loved both Gemma and Dax. Their bond in both timelines were so fun and fated. I liked that we got to see them in fall in love. And their chemistry? Off the charts! The side characters were also all written well and entertaining! There was character growth for both the main and side characters that felt meaningful. This book had great pacing with a nice balance between heartfelt moments and humor. I liked that we didn't get too deep into the explanation for the magic. I literally couldn't put it down once I got into it!

Review: This spells love
Author: Kate Robb

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 3/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


This book was fun! I always love the friends to lover and the magical aspect was fun and different.
It definitely added a different spin onto the usual romantic comedy tropes.

I do wish that there was a little better chemistry between the MCs 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even begin to begin!? I absolutely loved this book. The main character, Gemma, had complete & total me energy. There were so many nuanced little references that I’m not even sure the author planned to make. But. She’s a Swiftie (or at least I’m assuming so), so I’m not leaving anything up to coincidence or chance.

I got vibes of 13 Going on 30, Catch & Release, & Gilmore Girls. & I adored every single second of it. My only regret was that I read it so quickly.

I loved that the story had its own trajectory & unique twist on parallel universes/alternate timelines. & I always love when there’s a tough love scenario that forces the main character to grow up a little. & not only did Gemma learn more about herself, she gained extraordinary insight into the life of her sister, her aunt, her Dax, & fleshed out several other characters in her alternate timeline that she bridges by the end.

Seriously, phenomenal read.

**My only point of contention was that in my digital copy, Chapter 13 ended on an unfinished sentence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing this ARC.

Holy cow, we’re only in June, but this might be one of my favorite reads of 2023 so far. This was funny, charming, sweet, and heartwarming all at once.

Gemma and her sister have such a special relationship in both timelines, and I loved how Gemma was able to realize that she could help her sister achieve her dreams, and achieve her own at the same time.

Her friendship and romantic relationship with Dax felt so natural, like they were pieces of a puzzle that were meant to fit.

I didn’t love the mentioning of the pandemic - when I consume fictional media, I generally prefer to escape into this world that exists outside of my own - almost like my own alternate reality. But, other than that, no notes.

This Spells Love is perfectly charming. While this book takes a pretty standard view of the multiverse, the chemistry between all of the characters makes up for it. I was truly aggravated with Gemma at several points, but her decisions were those that a real girl would make. That’s actually probably why I was aggravated.

I also loved the sense of place this book has. Hamilton came alive for me on each page.

My only critique is the pacing. I rarely say this, but I think it could be longer to get to know these characters a bit better.

Thank you to netgalley, dial press, and penguin random house for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

After enduring a chaotic childhood, Gemma makes decisions with her head, not her heart. She has a stable, if unexciting relationship with Stuart, her boyfriend of 4 years, a comfortable condominium, and a job that is not that interesting, but has great benefits. Everything in her life is cultivated to create safety and security. Until…her boyfriend breaks up with her and in a drunken state, Gemma participates in a ritual to erase Stuart from her past. The next morning, she wakes up in a parallel reality/alternative timeline that in some ways is familiar and in other ways strikingly different. The Gemma in the new timeline was a risk-taker and followed her dreams. Her biggest dilemma: in this reality her best friend, Daxon, does not know her and to reverse the spell and return to her original timeline, he must kiss her. As she pursues the relationship, she begins to fall in love with him and must decide if becoming lovers is worth the possibility of losing her best friend.

I enjoy romance novels with a touch of magical realism. In that sense, I liked the premise of the book and watching Gemma evolve from an immature, self-centered twenty-something into someone who loves deeply enough to put her beloved’s needs above her own. At this point I would have given the novel 3 stars.

However, I was dismayed by the multiple, graphic descriptions of Gemma and Dax having passionate sex. I prefer sensual encounters that leave more to the reader’s imagination. What sealed the 2-star rating was the author’s Acknowledgments section. The references to the “SmutFest 2.0 community” and to her husband’s anatomy as the inspiration for the sex scenes (complete with a joke about her children reading that statement) were TMI.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I absolutely loved this book! Kate Robb creates characters you can't help but love and want to get to know better. When Gemma breaks up with her boyfriend of 4 years, she accidentally wants to forget he ever existed. Her best friend Dax is always there for her, but what if he forgot about her the process? This friends to lovers romance has a quirky twist with a love cleanse spell and alternate realities. You won't regret reading this one. I couldn't put it down!

Spicy and fun, a crazy story of a spell gone wrong. Gemma just wants to erase ever meeting her ex. She spent four years of her life with him and boom, he just ends it. Her Aunt Liv suggests a spell she found in a magic book just to do this. It all goes wrong and Gemma has an entirely new past and vastly different life. The bad thing is that her best friend Dax does not remember her. Enjoy the pages as Gemma chases Dax to make him remember and all the decisions she has to make.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.